I had some spare time so i decided to edit this chappie and post it! Here's a nice long chapter for you all :)

I don't own the Avengers.


Natasha had slept soundly despite being woken up by Bruce walking to the bathroom. As soon as he'd closed the door, her head hit the pillow and she was out like a light. She'd awoken with sun seeping through the space between the curtains- which in itself was odd because she was usually awake before the sun was up. But none the less she was awake and ready to face the day.

But not this day, never this day. Never had she wanted to live out this day.

I love you. Please remember that, for me.

Bruce Banner.

The hollow sadness and aggravation was similar to the time she'd lost sight of her target on a mission. But this was one thousand times worse. She didn't particularly care for her target, she didn't love them. She loved Bruce, he'd seen her most vulnerable. He'd been witness to her feeling and emotions, she'd taken a risk and let her hard frontier melt away. Then she lost him, he left. Right under her nose.

Natasha's hands shook, they both gripped the paper tightly. The pressure was warping the paper around her fingers. Her eyes flitted back and forth trying to make sense of what she'd categorized as bullshit.

Safe? Out of harms way? Where we're his reasons based? She was and assassin, a member of SHEILD. She had never been safe and never would be. If anything she'd been more careful with herself with Bruce around. Knowing her life had value to other people. She wasn't just a pawn, who, if she was killed on duty could just be replaced by another pawn. He made her human, made her feel like there was something under her harsh exterior.

Now it was gone.

Snapping out of it, Natasha turned and stormed out the bathroom door. She dropped to the floor, not in heartbreak, but in determination. She lifted up the bed skirt to reveal an empty black duffle bag. As she threw it onto the bed, a knock reverberated through her door. But Natasha had the blinders on, and had no plans of getting the door. She never would have found out who it was if the knocker hadn't opened the door.

"Hey, lovebirds! Get up!" Tony just barely missed being impaled by Natasha's unscented deodorant.

"Bruce isn't here." she snapped as her deodorant smacked against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway. Straightening up, Tony wore a look of mild confusion. But he was more than just mildly confused. "He left." She states.

"Left?!" he asks, walking into the room and closing the door. Eerily calm, Natasha hands him the letter.

It's a quick scan, nothing probing. He just needed the information, he doesn't read between the lines. He doesn't even make a comment about the 'I love you"s at the end. He just hands it back to her and sticks his hands in his jean pockets, a cocky smile in his face.

"I suspect you want a favour then?" He raises an eyebrow. Natasha knows what he's talking about; hacking the SHEILD files to find Bruce's location.

"I wouldn't call it a favour, Stark," she says, grabbing the gun from between her mattress and throwing in her bag. "Since you want to find out where he is just like I do, and just like the team will the moment they find out. Also because a favour would involve me asking, and I don't ask. Not with you anyway." she gave an amused smirk to the billionaire, who gulped.

"I see you're packed so I'll get his location. I'll tell Steve, I suppose you'll want to tell the flightless bird?" Tony turned to open the door.

"Yes please. And don't call him that!" she snapped. Tony walked to her deodorant and picked it up.

"I call 'em like I see 'em, Natalie." he hands her the deodorant. As he walks away Natasha thinks she sees something in his gaze. Empathy? Sadness? Of course though, Tony was Bruce's closet friend aside from Natasha. Tony was probably hurt as well.

She threw the brush into her bag and zipped it up, finishing her packing.

Twenty minutes later, after a quick shower then dressing into airplane appropriate attire she made her way up to Clint's room with a large cup of coffee and some breakfast.

"You look nice," was the first thing he said as she pushes his door open with her foot. Clint was on bed rest until the next week, so his attire was boxer shorts and a casual NYC T-shirt. His bandages ribs where hidden, but his casts were well displayed against his black bedspread.

"I brought breakfast." she said, handing him the toast, eggs and coffee. The tray fit over the tops of his thighs, he gave the food a quick look then looked back at her.

"Why the fancy attire? At this early in the day?" he took a sip of his coffee.

"I'm leaving," she said simply

"What?" Clint's eyes went wide, a look of panic on his face. "What about-"

"Bruce left -ran away- last night. I'm going to get him as soon as Tony comes back with where he's heading." her voice was icy, stable. Which meant she was not okay. Clint moved the tray with his usable arm the opened it up, offering Natasha a hug. She took it.

Sitting down on the bed she leaned into him. Happy when his arm wrapped around her and squeezed her tighter. Natasha let one tear slip from the corner of her eye. Just one, she wasn't one for putting on the waterworks. Clint felt the tear slip onto his T-shirt.

"Hey, now," he sighed, "He only left last night, meaning whatever flight you get to follow him will most likely be the one right after his. He won't be too far ahead of you. And you're the tantalizing Natasha Romanoff. You got him into the Avengers. I think you can do this."

"What if he won't?" she asks, letting a bit of her doubt out.

"You're not going to think like that." Clint, says, a tad harsher than he meant. "I won't let you. Now go," she sits up, agreeing with him. "I'm not allowing you to be a girl who weeps about a man leaving her. You're going to be the one who goes, finds him and kicks his ass for leaving. And then make up. That's the game plan got it?"

"Got it," she laughs shakily, grateful for Clint's talent to make dire situations a little less depressing.

Natasha left by herself, walking a couple of blocks before hailing a cab to take her to the airport. She could have asked Happy. But she felt better being in a car with somebody who didn't actually know a damn thing about her. The very young looking cab driver just asked her where to and keeping the hostility out of her voice she told him where.

"Usually trips require more luggage" he said, nodding towards her bag as he pulled into traffic.

"I pack light." she snaps, letting the cabby know she's not in the mood to talk. He doesn't make anther sound until they reach the airport.

"Aw, look at that," he laughs. He'd pulled in just behind a very adorned car. "Just Married," was painted along its back window, and streamers were amazingly still attached. Natasha glares at the car and the happy couple emerging from it. The cabby ignores the glare, asks for the money and as she hands it to him he says "We can only hope to be ask lucky, right?" referring to the couple. She doesn't respond, only picking her bag up and leaving the car. His "have a nice day" being lost in the car door slamming.

Natasha would be lying if she said that the cabby hadn't struck a nerve. All through getting her ticket and going through security- she had left her gun back at the tower, it hadn't felt right to bring it- she had her jaw clenched and gave anybody who looked at her a death glare.

Boarding the plane, she realized she owed Tony a bit more. It was first class, but also that one really out of place seat in the back. You were the only one in the row, and nobody was behind you. You could plug earphones in and it was virtually irritate proof. But Natasha had no earphones, but she was hostile-looking enough that nobody except the flight attendants would speak to her. So she was left alone with her thoughts. And her thoughts were Bruce.

He just left. Right under her nose. Just after she fell back asleep, he could have kissed her. She could of had that. But maybe he couldn't even stand to do that.

Did he hate her now? No, I love you, remember that, that's what he said he loved her. That's why he was gone. She loved Bruce, that's why she was on a quest to get him back.

She wasn't deluding herself when she'd daydream about what could be. They could get married. Bruce could get down on one knee and ask her to marry him. She would say yes, of course. She could have a dress. They could have a future. SHIELD didn't have any rules against it. They didn't have rules against children either. They could have kids, a family, if they wanted to. She'd be lying if she said she'd never thought about a future with Bruce. It had been possible at the time. Now, Natasha thought, gazing out the window, not so much.

She thought about how it felt when he held her in his arms at night, or when they watched a team movie. Or even when she was drinking tea in the morning and he'd come up behind her and wrap his arms around her. He was soft, but he had muscle. It was a comforting feeling, the skin on skin. The way he would trace patterns up her arms and kiss her neck drove her crazy. Holding his hand was like and anchor, keeping her close and reminding her she was loved. She missed his kisses, soft, but full of passion. His lips, slightly chapped, against her smooth ones was a feeling she couldn't forget. He'd always been there to kiss her, hold her hand, hold her close as she slept. But now she was traveling half way around the world just to see his face.


Here you go, guys! 'Nother chapter, let me know what you though with a review :)